Baroque Era (1600-1750)

1. Baroque Era (1600-1750) • Definition of “baroque” • extreme ornamentation • art / sculpture / architecture / music • used to symbolize wealth and power • Scientific discoveries • Galileo / Newton • Three phases of Baroque Era • early - emphasis on dramatic contrast / homophonic • middle - use of maj/min scales / music for certain instr. • late (1680-1750) - what we will focus on

2. Characteristics of Baroque Music • Unity of Mood • Rhythmic Continuity • Melodic Continuity • Terraced Dynamics • organ, harpsichord, clavichord - good for this • Polyphonic Texture Favored • Strong Importance of Chords (Harmony) • basso continuo • figured bass • Continuation of Word Painting

3. Baroque Music • Baroque Orchestra • Nucleus • Basso Continuo - harpsichord + cello / bass / bassoon • Upper Strings - 1st & 2nd violins, violas • Woodwinds / Brass / Percussion varied • Baroque Trumpet - no valves • Baroque Forms • movements • Binary / Ternary • Continuous / undivided

4. Music in Baroque Society • Music written to order • Ruling class • Opera houses / municipalities • Churches • The Overworked Musician • How to Become a Musician … and get a job!

5. More Baroque Forms • Concerto Grosso • tutti alternating with soloist or group • 3 movements (F,S,F) • Ritornello Form • ritornello • Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - J.S. Bach • soloists - harpsichord, violin, flute • dedicated to the margrave of Brandenburg

6. More Baroque Forms • Fugue • a polyphonic composition based on one theme • subject • answer • countersubject • episodes • pedal point • variations of subject • inversion, retrograde, augmentation, diminution • “Little” organ Fugue in G minor - Bach

7. The Elements of Opera • opera - drama sung to orchestral accompaniment • began in Italy around 1600 • fusion of music, acting, poetry, dance, scenery, costumes • personnel needed to run an opera • libretto • serious vs. comic • voice categories • coloratura, lyric soprano, dramatic soprano • lyric tenor, dramatic tenor • bassobuffo, basso profundo

8. The Elements of Opera • one to five acts subdivided into scenes • aria - song for solo voice w/ orchestra • recitative - vocal line that imitates speech • duet • ensemble • trio, quartet, quintet, etc. • prompter • overture / prelude • Should opera be translated for an audience?

9. Opera in the Baroque era • the Camerata • wanted to create vocal style modeled after ancient Greek tragedy • recitative • homophonic / polyphony rejected • Euridice by Jacopo Peri (1600) • earliest surviving opera • composed for wedding of King Henri IV and Marie de’Medici • Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi (1607) • first “great” opera

10. Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) • born in Italy • Career • served at the court of Mantua - 21 years • singer & violist • music director • wrote Orfeo • 1613 - music director at St. Mark’s - 30 years • composed sacred and secular music - all for voices • wanted to create music of emotional intensity • use of dissonance / new effects (pizzicato / tremolo)

11. Henry Purcell (ca.1659-1695) • born in England • Career • age 10 - choirboy in Chapel Royal • 1677 - (age 18) composer for king’s string orchestra • 1679 - organist at Westminster Abbey • 1682 - organist at Chapel Royal • buried under organ at Westminster Abbey • wrote church music, secular choral music, chamber music, songs, music for the stage • used ground bass (basso ostinato)

12. Henry Purcell • Dido and Aeneas (1689) • written for girls’ boarding school • relatively short - one hour long • scored for strings and harpsichord contiinuo • libretto - (p.163) • Dido’s Lament - from Act III • recitative with basso continuo • aria with full orchestra • ground bass • used to show grief and sorrow

13. The Baroque Sonata • sonata • composition in several movements for 1-8 instruments • trio sonata - 2 high instruments and basso continuo • originated in Italy - spread to Germany, England, France • sonata da chiesa / sonata da camera • Archangelo Corelli (1653-1713) • studied in Bologna - spent most of his life in Rome • friend and music director to Cardinal Ottoboni • laid foundation for modern violin technique • double stops / chords • wrote only instrumental music • Trio Sonata in B minor, Op.3 No.4

14. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) • born in Venice / father at St. Mark’s as violinist • age 25 - took holy orders / left ministry after 1 yr. • ‘the red priest” • teacher at music school of the Pietà • virtuoso violinist and composer • popularity waned / died in poverty • composed 50 operas and sacred music • best known for concerti grossi and solo concerti • La Primavera (Spring) from The Four Seasons

15. La Primavera • concerto for solo violin and string orchestra • Baroque program music • 1. Allegro - birds, streams, storm • 2. Largo e pianissimo sempre - goatherd w/ dog • 3. Danza pastorale - bagpipes, dancing nymphs and shepherds • Forms of movements • 1. ritornello form • 2. through-composed • 3. ritornello form

16. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • family of long line of musicians • J.S. had 20 children • 9 survived him / 4 became well-known composers • born in Eisenach, Germany • first musical training by father and cousin • age 9 - both parents die / lives with oldest brother • age 15 - leaves bother’s home / goes to school, supporting himself by singing in church choir & playing organ & violin

17. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • age 18 - becomes church organist at Arnstadt • conflict with church authorities • “complicated” music • “strange” maiden • age 23 - resolves conflict • gets a better position in Mühlhausen • marries the ”strange” maiden, his cousin Barbara • 1708 - court organist at Weimar • stayed for 9 years / became concertmaster of court orch. • asked to leave when passed over for promotion • jailed for one month by Duke of Weimar

18. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • 1717-1723 - court conductor for Prince of Cöthen • not involved in church music • conducted orchestra of 18 players • wrote Brandenburg Concertos • 1720 - Barbara dies / leaving 4 children • marries 21-year-old singer • 1723 - cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig • drawbacks from career move / advantages • wrote extended compositions for each Sunday and holiday • became director of Leipzig Collegium Musicum • eminent organist and teacher

19. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • 1740’s - eyesight began to deteriorate • 1750 - goes blind / dies later that year • Not well-known outside Germany in his day • Baroque style out-of-date in his late career • Bach’s music largely forgotten • 1829 - Felix Mendelssohn presents St. Matthew Passion • Bach’s music revived ever since

20. Bach’s music • composed all Baroque forms except opera • bulk of music - vocal - Lutheran • studied Italian concertos / French dance pieces • unique combination of polyphonic texture & rich harmony • use of musical symbolism • music to demonstrate a specific musical form • Art of the Fugue • The Well-Tempered Clavier

21. Bach’s music • Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 • movements • instrumentation • tempi • form • key • other notable features • Mass in B Minor • setting of Roman Catholic Mass • 1733 - wrote Kyrie / Gloria - sent to Catholic monarch • later - completed mass w/ new and re-used music

22. Mass in B minor • instrument parts • each section subdivided into arias, duets, choruses • in the “Credo” • “Crucifixus” • strings, 2 flutes, chorus • use of ground bass • “Et Resurrexit” • full orch. (w/ oboes, trumpets, and timpani)

23. The Baroque Suite • set of dance-inspired movements all in same key • written for solo instr. / small groups / full orch. • related to specific dance types • examples • allemande - moderate (Ger.) • courante - fast (Fr.) • gavotte - moderate (Fr.) • sarabande - slow (Sp.) • gigue - fast (Eng./Ire.) • usually binary form • “French overture”

24. The Chorale and Church Cantata • Lutheran Church service in Bach’s time • 7 am / lasted 4 hours • importance of music • orchestra: 14-21 players • chorus: 12+ men & boys • single composition could last 1/2 hour • use of vernacular • chorale • one note per syllable / moving in steady rhythm • sung by congregation • harmonized by choir • chorale prelude

25. The Chorale and Church Cantata • cantata • written for chorus, vocal soloists, organ, orchestra • German religious text- related to liturgy for each Sunday • recitatives, arias, duets, choruses • based on a chorale tune • Bach’s cantatas: wrote 295; surviving - 195 • Cantata #140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme • 7 movements • mvt. 1 - Chorus w/ orch. • mvt. 4 - Tenor (solo or unison) w/ strings and continuo • mvt. 7 - Chorus doubled by orch.

26. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) • born in Halle, Germany - not in musical family • father wanted him to study law • age 9 - father relented to let G.F. study w/ organist • age 11 - could compose and give organ lessons • age 12 - father dies • age 17 - studies law at Halle University • age 18 - leaves university; sets out for Hamburg • became violinist/harpsichordist at Hamburg Opera House / age 20 - own opera produced

27. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) • man of temperament and conviction • age 21 - went to Italy / established his career • wrote Italian operas • 1710 - music director for Elector of Hanover (Ger.) • after 1 mo. - asked to leave for London • Rinaldo • after 1 year - asked to leave again for London • (1712-1759) became England’s most important composer • favored by Queen Anne - gave him £200/year • after death of Anne, Elector of Hanover becomes King George I of England - Handel’s subsidy increased to £400/year

28. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) • 1719 - music director of the Royal Academy of Music - open for only 9 seasons • composed a number of operas for brilliant sopranos and castrati • formed his own company • impresario / composer / performer • Opera of the Nobility - the opposition • both companies go bankrupt / Handel has nervous breakdown • recuperates in Germany / returns to England • produces more operas and adds oratorios

29. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) • 1741 - stops composing opera / focuses on oratorio • oratorios criticized, yet productive • played organ concertos between acts • plot against Handel • suffers another breakdown / recovers / composes more oratorios • 1753 - still active conducting/ giving organ concerts • almost blind / statue erected in public park • 1759 - 3000 mourners at his funeral in Westminster Abbey

30. The Oratorio • large scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra • no acting, scenery, or costumes - “concert”-style • most based on Biblical stories • choruses, arias, duets, recitatives, interludes • chorus provides commentary / participates in story • narrator • longer than cantatas (sometimes over 2 hours) • first appeared in early 17th century Italy - dramatized musical settings of Biblical stories